Big Five Personality

Questionnaire
Development Advice

MySkillsProfile.com
Competency-based development suggestions for managers and professionals who
have taken the Big Five Personality Questionnaire.
 Development Advice

Contents
Competency-based development suggestions linked to behavioral style

Extraversion .............................................................................................................. 3
Warmth ............................................................................................................. 3
Gregariousness................................................................................................. 3
Assertiveness.................................................................................................... 3
Energy............................................................................................................... 3
Agreeableness .......................................................................................................... 4
Trust .................................................................................................................. 4
Straightforwardness .......................................................................................... 4
Considerateness ............................................................................................... 4
Modesty ............................................................................................................ 4
Conscientiousness ................................................................................................... 5
Competence...................................................................................................... 5
Organization...................................................................................................... 5
Achievement ..................................................................................................... 5
Proactivity ......................................................................................................... 5
Openness to Change ................................................................................................ 6
Imagination ....................................................................................................... 6
Trait ................................................................................................................... 6
Innovation ......................................................................................................... 6
Rule-Breaking ................................................................................................... 6
Adaptability ....................................................................................................... 6
Emotional Stability ................................................................................................... 7
Relaxedness ..................................................................................................... 7
Contentedness .................................................................................................. 7
Self-Assuredness .............................................................................................. 7
Resilience ......................................................................................................... 7
Personal Development Plan .................................................................................... 9

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 Development Advice

Key Factor Extraversion

Trait Warmth

1.1 Read Be a Better Leader, Have a Richer Life by Stewart D. Friedman

1.2 Connect face-to-face with people you get on with as frequently as you can
Make time to have fun with, show interest in, and care for the people who matter most
1.3
to you
Look for ways to bring out the positive and try to say “yes” as often as possible to other
1.4
people
Use warmth to break down barriers and encourage plenty of friendly interactions
1.5
between people at work, at home, and in the community
1.6 Make people feel upbeat and engaged to promote relationships, trust, and collaboration

Trait Gregariousness
Read Making Relationships Work: A Conversation with Psychologist John M. Gottman
2.1
by Diane Coutu
Take responsibility for building relationships and adjusting the way you work to fit in
2.2
with others
Initiate interactions and communications with people rather than waiting for other
2.3
people to come to you
2.4 Develop strong partnerships with your bosses, co-workers, customers, and suppliers
Build and maintain a wide network of contacts relevant to your work and outside
2.5
interests
Talk to peers about how they manage relationships with their bosses, customers, and
2.6
stakeholders
Trait Assertiveness

3.1 Read The Delicate Art of Being Perfectly Assertive by Robert I. Sutton
Adjust your style and level of assertiveness according to the people and situation you
3.2
are dealing with
Aim to be moderately assertive pushing your views and ideas at times and backing off
3.3
at other times
When you are seeking to influence people, address their views, priorities and needs
3.4
and try to achieve win-win outcomes
Ask other people whether you have achieved the right balance between being too
3.5
assertive and not assertive enough
3.6 Ask your peers whether they think you are fighting the right battles

Trait Energy

4.1 Read Manage Your Energy, Not Your Time by Tony Schwartz and Catherine McCarthy

4.2 Discover and focus on the activities that you do best and get the most enjoyment from
Increase your physical energy by getting more sleep, reducing alcohol intake, taking
4.3
regular exercise, and taking regular breaks
Increase your emotional energy by reducing negative emotions through stress
4.4
reduction techniques
Increase your mental energy by carrying out high-concentration tasks away from
4.5
possible interruptions from people, email and phone calls
Increase your sense of well-being by expressing positive feelings and emotions to
4.6
others

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 Development Advice

Key Factor Agreeableness

Trait Trust

5.1 Read Rethinking Trust by Roderick Kramer

5.2 Take time to learn about people’s personal situations, views, and concerns

5.3 Be consistent and fair and avoid working through favourites

5.4 Expect to be judged by what you do and how well you do it

Learn more about the fields of ethics, governance, corporate responsibility and socially
5.5
responsible investing at business-ethics.com
5.6 Try to consistently deliver more than you are asked to do

Trait Straightforwardness

6.1 Read The Responsible Manager by C.K. Prahalad

6.2 Demonstrate genuine concern for people and be straightforward with them
When you have to deliver bad news, tell people in a candid manner what they need to
6.3
know
6.4 Show loyalty to your organization, profession, community, society, and family
Acknowledge cultural differences among people and recognize the value in those
6.5
differences
6.6 Ask other people how effectively you resolve disagreements and conflict

Trait Considerateness
Read Face-to-Face Communications for Clarity and Impact: The Results-Driven
7.1
Manager Series
7.2 Show interest in other people’s views, ideas, problems, and concerns
In conversations, look like you care and ask questions to show that you are interested
7.3
in what people are saying
Observe the behaviours of a colleague or boss who demonstrates good communication
7.4
and listening skills
Learn to read people’s expressions and behaviours and think about how your words
7.5
and actions affect other people
7.6 Ask other people to tell you when you are being insensitive

Trait Modesty

8.1 Read Level 5 Leadership: The Triumph of Humility and Fierce Resolve by Jim Collins
Avoid personal celebrity and aim for a combination of extreme professional
8.2
determination and outward personality modesty
Consider the value of moving modesty, patiently, carefully, and incrementally in order to
8.3
achieve your goals
8.4 Ensure that your drive to achieve does not stifle other people’s creativity and initiative
Adopt a self-deprecating style demonstrating awareness of your weaknesses rather
8.5
than trying to cover them up
Ask your team, peers, and manager to give you honest feedback on your
8.6
work/management style

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 Development Advice

Key Factor Conscientiousness

Trait Competence

9.1 Read Managing Oneself by Peter F. Drucker

9.2 Focus on finding a position that matches your values and interests
Concentrate on building on your strengths rather than working on areas that do not
9.3
come naturally to you
9.4 Focus on turning areas of competence into areas of star performance

9.5 Set yourself clear objectives and focus your efforts on achieving them
Maintain a balance and continually experiment in and improve all dimensions of life –
9.6
for example, work, home, community, and leisure
Trait Organization

10.1 Read Reclaim Your Job by Sumantra Ghoshal and Heike Bruch

10.2 Work out where your strengths lie and where you are not particularly competent
Invite feedback on any things you are doing that are inhibiting your performance and
10.3
effectiveness
Learn to control the timing and content of what you do, particularly the time you spend
10.4
dealing with other people’s problems
Break big projects into smaller manageable assignments with clear milestones and
10.5
focus on delivering results
Test your project, program and portfolio management knowledge online at
10.6
www.pmi.org
Trait Achievement
Read How to Play to Your Strengths by Laura Morgan Roberts, Gretchen Spreitzer,
11.1
Jane Dutton, Robert Quinn, Emily Heaphy, Brianna Barker
Develop a long-term, big picture view of what you want to achieve and how you want
11.2
your life to be judged
Develop a strategy for learning and development across your whole life, not just your
11.3
career
11.4 Set yourself goals and challenges that are stretching but achievable
Develop second interests to provide options if you do not achieve your goals in your
11.5
first choice career
11.6 Don’t over-invest in your career at the expense of your family

Trait Proactivity

12.1 Read HBR's 10 Must Reads on Managing Yourself

12.2 Demonstrate a sense of urgency for achieving goals and resolving problems
Instead of bringing problems to your bosses, bring recommendations and proposals for
12.3
action to your bosses and keep them in the loop
12.4 Assess whether your performance is suffering from too much multitasking

12.5 Volunteer for new responsibilities and assignments

Continually review how you can make the greatest contribution to your organization’s
12.6
goals

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 Development Advice

Key Factor Openness to Change

Trait Imagination
Read Breakthrough Thinking from Inside the Box by Kevin P. Coyne, Patricia Gorman
13.1
Clifford, and Renée Dye
Use your imagination to challenge existing assumptions and generate ideas for
13.2
possible improvement options and scenarios
Try out creative thinking techniques such as brainstorming, the six thinking hats,
13.3
metaphors and stories to help generate imaginative ideas
Try approaching problems from angles that are as far as possible from the ways you
13.4
have approached them in the past
13.5 Use visualization techniques to help manage performance and realize your goals

13.6 Experiment with new ways of doing things in all aspects of your life

Trait Innovation
Read The Customer-Centered Innovation Map by Lance A. Bettencourt and Anthony
14.1
W. Ulwick
Identify innovation opportunities through mapping every step of the job and determining
14.2
how to improve execution
Use the 4 Ps to capture an idea’s business model: population, penetration, price, and
14.3
purchase frequency
14.4 Explore the use of the Balanced Scorecard framework to drive the innovation process
Ensure that you have the visible backing of senior executives for change you are
14.5
implementing
14.6 Create and communicate a vision and strategies for achieving change

Trait Rule-Breaking

15.1 Read Radical Change, the Quiet Way by Debra E. Meyerson

Be prepared to bend the rules and venture into uncharted territory in order to make
15.2
things better
15.3 Learn to handle isolation, insecurity and uncertainty
Assess where you are on candour, purpose, will, rigor and risk by taking Your Courage
15.4
Index™ at courageinstitute.org
Use the Cynefin framework to tailor your decisions according to whether the context is
15.5
simple, complicated, complex, or chaotic
When something large is at stake, insist on getting all the information you need to make
15.6
a sound decision
Trait Adaptability

16.1 Read Leading Change: Why Transformation Efforts Fail by John P. Kotter
Respond constructively to other people’s views, ideas and opinions – for example,
16.2
using “yes and” rather than “no but”
16.3 Commit to learning and developing yourself and helping others develop
Get involved in all phases of a change project and express your views, concerns, and
16.4
ideas in order to help improve the planned change
Acknowledge the pain of change and deal with everyone’s ideas and concerns about
16.5
change including feelings and emotions
Use the DICE framework to assess whether the hard side of change management has
16.6
been addressed

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 Development Advice

Key Factor Emotional Stability

Trait Relaxedness

17.1 Read Overloaded Circuits: Why Smart People Underperform by Edward M. Hallowell

17.2 Develop a sense of humour and perspective as a shield in times of hardship

17.3 Try to get plenty of sleep, make sure you have a good diet, and take exercise
Adjust your relaxedness level to the situation striking a balance between calmness and
17.4
vigilance
17.5 Observe colleagues who handle their own and other people’s emotions skilfully

17.6 Talk to peers about the things they do to manage stress in the job

Trait Contentedness

18.1 Read What to Ask the Person in the Mirror by Robert Kaplan

18.2 Pursue excellent performance at work, home, and in the community

Review your portfolio of skills and competencies and set goals for improvement
18.3
activities
Step back regularly and ask yourself how you are performing and what you may need
18.4
to do differently
Seek feedback on how you are performing from bosses, direct reports, peers, and
18.5
customers
18.6 Support the learning and development of your co-workers and inner circle

Trait Self-Assuredness

19.1 Read Pull the Plug on Stress by Bruce Cryer, Rollin McCraty, and Doc Childre

19.2 Stay composed, relaxed, and professional in open work places

Ensure that your gestures, expressions and tone of voice match the words being
19.3
spoken
When under pressure, step back, get things in perspective, and if necessary develop a
19.4
new game plan
19.5 Watch for the warning signs of extreme stress and depression in people around you

19.6 Use the freeze-frame technique to manage stress and performance anxiety

Trait Resilience

20.1 Read How Resilience Works by Diane L. Coutu

When you face difficult situations, stare down reality rather than adopt an overly
20.2
optimistic assessment of the situation
Maintain your level of interaction with people when you feel stressed rather than cutting
20.3
yourself off
20.4 Bounce back by improvising and making the most of what you have got

20.5 Use good moods, humour and optimism to stimulate and motivate people

20.6 Do a short course on how to develop personal resilience

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 Development Advice

Further Reading

By Daniel Goleman, Peter F. Drucker, John P. Kotter, Ronald A. Heifetz,

Donald L. Laurie, Robert Goffee, Gareth Jones, Warren G. Bennis, Robert J.
Thomas, Jim Collins, David Rooke, William R. Torbert, William W. George,
Peter Sims, Andrew N. McLean, Diana Mayer, Deborah Ancona, Thomas W.
Malone, Wanda J. Orlikowski, Peter M. Senge.

120 pages. Publication date: Jun 07, 2010. Prod. #: 12546-PDF-ENG

By Peter F. Drucker, William Oncken Jr., Donald L. Wass, Stephen R. Covey,

Diane L. Coutu, Tony Schwartz, Catherine McCarthy, Edward M. Hallowell,
Stewart D. Friedman, Sumantra Ghoshal, Heike Bruch, Robert E. Quinn,
Robert S. Kaplan, Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis, Annie McKee.

113 pages. Publication date: Jun 07, 2010. Prod. #: 12572-PDF-ENG

By John P. Kotter, David A. Garvin, Michael A. Roberto, Samuel J. Palmisano,

Paul Hemp, Thomas A. Stewart, Debra Meyerson, W. Chan Kim, Renee A.
Mauborgne, Dan S. Cohen, Ronald A. Heifetz, Marty Linsky, Robert Kegan,
Lisa Laskow Lahey, Michael Beer, Nitin Nohria, Harold L. Sirkin, Perry
Keenan, Alan Jackson, Russell A. Eisenstat, Bert Spector.

124 pages. Publication date: Jun 07, 2010. Prod. #: 12599-PDF-ENG

By Daniel Goleman, Frederick Herzberg, Jean-Francois Manzoni, Jean-Louis

Barsoux, Carol A. Walker, Marcus Buckingham, W. Chan Kim, Renee
Mauborgne, Chris Argyris, Mahzarin R. Banaji, Max H. Bazerman, Dolly
Chugh, Jon R. Katzenbach, Douglas K. Smith, John J. Gabarro, John P.
Kotter.

131 pages. Publication date: Jun 07, 2010. Prod. #: 12575-PDF-ENG

By Michael E. Porter, James C. Collins, Jerry I. Porras, Mark Johnson, Clayton

M. Christensen, Henning Kagermann, W. Chan Kim, Renee Mauborgne, Gary
L. Neilson, Karla L. Martin, Elizabeth Powers, Robert S. Kaplan, David P.
Norton, Orit Gadiesh, James L. Gilbert, Michael C. Mankins, Richard Steele,
Paul Rogers, Marcia Blenko.

143 pages. Publication date: Nov 12, 2009. Prod. #: 12601-PDF-ENG

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Personal Development Plan: Whole Life Approach

Life Dimension Strategy/Goal Learning Activity Timeline Review Notes

Career

Sport and
physical fitness

Family and
relationships

Leisure

Community
 Development Advice

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